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"Exploring Myths about Drug Abuse"
By Alan I. Leshner, Ph.D.,
Former Director, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes
of Health
Myth: Drug addiction is voluntary
behavior.
A person starts out as an occasional drug user, and that is a voluntary
decision. But as times passes, something happens, and that person
goes from being a voluntary drug user to being a compulsive drug
user. Why? Because over time, continued use of addictive drugs changes
your brain -- at times in dramatic, toxic ways, at others in more
subtle ways, but virtually always in ways that result in compulsive
and even uncontrollable drug use.
Myth: More than anything else, drug addiction
is a character flaw.
Drug addiction is a brain disease. Every type of drug of abuse
has its own individual mechanism for changing how the brain functions.
But regardless of which drug a person is addicted to, many of the
effects it has on the brain are similar: they range from changes
in the molecules and cells that make up the brain, to mood changes,
to changes in memory processes and in such motor skills as walking
and talking. And these changes have a huge influence on all aspects
of a person's behavior. The drug becomes the single most powerful
motivator in a drug abuser's existence. He or she will do almost
anything for the drug. This comes about because drug use has changed
the individual's brain and its functioning in critical ways.
Myth: You have to want drug treatment for it
to be effective.
Virtually no one wants drug treatment. Two of the primary reasons
people seek drug treatment are because the court ordered them to
do so, or because loved ones urged them to seek treatment. Many
scientific studies have shown convincingly that those who enter
drug treatment programs in which they face "high pressure" to confront
and attempt to surmount their addiction do comparatively better
in treatment, regardless of the reason they sought treatment in
the first place.
Myth: Treatment for drug addiction should be
a one-shot deal.
Like many other illnesses, drug addiction typically is a chronic
disorder. To be sure, some people can quit drug use "cold turkey,"
or they can quit after receiving treatment just one time at a rehabilitation
facility. But most of those who abuse drugs require longer-term
treatment and, in many instances, repeated treatments.
Myth: We should strive to find a "magic bullet"
to treat all forms of drug abuse.
There is no "one size fits all" form of drug treatment, much less
a magic bullet that suddenly will cure addiction. Different people
have different drug abuse-related problems. And they respond very
differently to similar forms of treatment, even when they're abusing
the same drug. As a result, drug addicts need an array of treatments
and services tailored to address their unique needs.
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